IRISH AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1079, 18 March 1911, Page 3

IRISH AFFAIRS.

.Sir,—l see Mr. Milligau is. again to tho front. It is marvellous how 4nmo pcoplo can never discuss anything without being; offensive. His latest effusion has been, a' tirade of abuse—not argument. His at- j tempt to refute my. statements reminds! one of the youth at a primary school struggling through the. pons asinorum of (' ftuciid's element!!.' •••He- fancies that tho laws of gravitation must eeara wlitn lie appears 011 the i-tago of equilibrium. Ho . wants 1110 to give figures to establish I ho. I truth of my argument. Hut the figures ; quoted bv "Non-Facfionisl" in this morn- ; ing's issue of Tiik Dominion relieve ma i of tho necessity, ami should lie an eye- . opener to Mr. Milligan and suchliko superficial'writers. But if lie wants more' I would ask him to solve a little problem; in arithmetic. If tho proportionate share of taxation fixed by tho Act of .Union was 2-lTths, and th? debt of England had at tho close of the Napoleonic wars risen to .£9(10,(100,000, how much had Ireland to contribute towards the liquidation of that: debt? AVliy. the thing is unparalleled in tho history of the world. The amount ) paid into the Knglish Exchequer according to that statement by Ireland'in tho last hundred and ten years would wipo out the national debt of England twelve times over. So much for figures. And, if that is not robbery, 1 know not what

Mr. Milligan, the close of his letter, tries lo be facetious when he talks about people not in Porirua supporting his theorv of mismanagement in Now Zealand. i\lay I not retort that tho most suitable place for such misguided people . would be the asylum; and if certain other people were with Ilium the world would... move 011.all the same, and the columns of i T111: Dominion would not lose any of their respectability. J think when this erudite, gentleman comes to study the gravity of ' his case ho will regret that he has written as ha has done. Anil he will Ana that- ill the near future despite his. Culminations llomo Rule will bo an,»c-. ; complished fact,'' and" 1110 statements in mv lri»er shall l:e veri.Scl'by tho results. : I fear I have already trespassed too far 011 youv valuable space, but, 1 sir, with 1 your kind permission, 1 should like to ; add another important paragraph for tho-: enlightenment of Mr. Milligan and his compatriots. Referring to tho natural resources of Ireland. 1 have only to stalo , tint, some of Ihe ablest political aud i' scientific economists (Government officials at. that) have stated that tho resources of; Ireland are such that she would support in comfort 20,(100,000 or more of- a population. Ye', with 11 population of nearly eight millions in ISIT. now dwindled down I lo about four millions, the country seems to bo reduced to a state almost border- ■ ing 011 poverty. Surely there must be • something radically wrong. AVhat is Iho cause of this? "What is it to be attributed io? Not to the want of thrift, energy, industry, or skill 011 the part of tho people,'but lo high rents, over-taxation, and the undeveloped resources of tho rich and fertile soil of Ireland. Give us tho means of developing our industrial resources, and I. have 110 hesitation in asserting that in tlie next decade or so wo shall rank amongst the most prosperous people on tho face of tho earth. Ireland is not by any means destitute nf mineral wealth. She has any amount of the precious and other metals stored up in her bosom, and only requires liberal measures to bring them to, the surface and fit them for tho utility of her people. —I am, etc., R..D. Wellington, March 11, 1911.